The family of Nicola Wright, 44, a mother of four, has paid tribute to her adventurous spirit following a fatal light aircraft crash near Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon last Friday. Wright was flying solo when her plane went down shortly after 10 a.m., according to emergency services who attended the scene but pronounced her dead.
Nicola Wright, who hailed from Dorset, has been remembered by her family as an "incredible mother" and an "amazing woman." In a statement, her family described her as "the heart of the family" and noted her positive, brave, and determined nature. They highlighted her "adventurous spirit," mentioning her accomplishments as an aerobatic pilot, skydiver, diver, and mountaineer, including a recent climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Professionally, Wright served as the HR director at Medisave, a global medical and pharmaceutical distributor. Her family stated she was instrumental in building the company alongside her husband, Graham Wright, and a longtime friend, Melissa Denton. Her devotion to her four young children was paramount, with the family emphasizing their devastation at the loss of their mother.
Devon and Cornwall Police are collaborating with the Air Accident Investigation Branch to investigate the crash. A spokesperson for the police indicated that the family is grieving and has requested privacy.
Dunkeswell Airfield, situated in the Blackdown Hills northeast of Exeter, was a US naval base during World War II and is the highest licensed airfield in the United Kingdom. The airfield has been the site of multiple fatalities in the past year. In March, an inquest heard about the death of skydiver Charles McNeil, 49, whose parachute failed to deploy during a wingsuit jump. Last June, two individuals, Belinda Taylor, 48, and instructor Adam Harrison, 30, died when their parachutes failed to open during a tandem jump. Investigations into these prior incidents are ongoing, involving British Skydiving, police, and local authorities.